MoveOn To Pay Full Rate For Controversial NYT Petraeus Ad

The New York Times' The Caucus Blog:

On the issue of an issue that just hasn't moved on, the liberal activist group MoveOn.org announced this afternoon that, in light of today's column by The Times's public editor, Clark Hoyt, it would pay the full advertisement rate of $142,083 for its controversial "General Betray Us?" spot in the A-section of the newspaper nearly two weeks ago.

The print ad itself, appearing on the day that General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker went up to Capitol Hill to begin delivering status reports on the effects of President Bush's so-called surge in Iraq, generated a lot of condemnation from Republicans -- especially former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Senator John McCain and Vice President Dick Cheney. The debate swirled around the general's testimony throughout the week and beyond, as Republicans demanded that Democrats -- lawmakers on the Hill and the presidential candidates -- denounce it or else.

Read the whole story: The New York Times' The Caucus Blog

Comments

[escobar]

General Patraeus has the same lousy job Gen. Westmoreland had.
His loyalty is to the people who hired him.
The biggest difference is that I think Gen Westmoreland was stupid enough to believe his own BS!

[grainger5]

As a Liberal loonybird, I feel the MoveOn ad was over the top, childish, and like something I would say.



But at least I'm not a Republican homosexual that taps his feet at the drop of a piece of tissue paper.

[BUSHsurvivor]

Will Freedomswatch now also pay the rest of their bill from this discounted price?

[Pam4Waters]

Damn it! Not only are the Democrats wimps now MoveOn losses it's spine too! They already got castigated by the congress. Now they look like they are sating their ad was wrong. Isn't there anyone in the country left with some back bone?

[frappe]

Isn't it customary to give "nonprofits" a discount? Why the friggin controversy over the silly discount. Asshole Republicans.

[WMK]

Don't the politicians hear the sounds of support for Moveon? Don't they see that by telling Moveon to 'shut up' they effectively demand that all of us be silent about the war and the sickening staged farce our ruling elite engage in to justify and continue it?

It seems to me that the Petraeus ad effectively monkey wrenched the military dog & pony show the bush admin had planned for September 11th only if anyone bothered to read the NYT on the 10th and actually see the full text of the ad.

The faux outrage 'How Dare You!' campaign is insulting to the American people because it attempts to bury the substantive criticism of Patreus in the ad under some jowl-shaking cries of 'HAARRUMPH!' over the jingo-slogan rhyme 'betray-us'. The ad was clearly supportive of the troops and critical of Patreus.

It scares the hell out of me that the Dems would knuckle under and cravenly play along with this insincere hissy-fit thrown buy a bunch of war-mongering fat cats.

Rudy is playing the only note he seems to have on his political toy piano - petulant outrage as a tool to shut someone up and attempting to paint the NYT as being biased. I think someone should take out a full page ad against Rudy if he should win the nomination, it could be titled:

Rudy Giuliani or Rudy FOOL-iani?

I am sure someone could insert 3 paragraphs of substantive and true details of the ways in which Rudy has proven himself to be a blood thirsty torture loving troglodyte and a venal corrupt incompetent administrator.

[webgeek]

"In response, MoveOn announced it was never told of the error but will retroactively pay the higher rate -- even though it says the higher figure "is above the market rate paid by most" organizations.

The liberal advocacy group challenged former New York mayor and current Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani -- who paid the same lower rate for his response ad -- to follow its lead."

http://tinyurl.com/yw4awf

[Doug]

The only thing democrats should feel betrayed by are their own thoughts. They unanimously elected Petraeus, he gives his honest report, which conflicted with what move-on wanted to hear now they have to smear the person THEY put in power.

[dezzertguy]

Well, the NYT and Moveon.org got caught. Makes one wonder what else is going on. And of course, the NYT is not the only member of the MSM that would be expected to support groups like Moveon. It is nice when they get caught but logic makes one think that this is just the tip of the iceberg. How much "soft support" do the Dems receive from their MSM allies? Not to mention educators, unions and other allies. These numbers are not included in campaign finance and are a big part of the Dem machine.

[bikerdude]

Rudy got the same rate as MoveOn for his attack ad.

[maxfusion]

Just another coffin nail for the old liberal rag. The clock is ticking. As for the communist pigs at bowelmoveon.org, who cares?

[HumeSkeptic]

Bwahahahahahaha!

Another $100 to MoveOn.

[HumeSkeptic]

I received the following email from MoveOn:

Dear MoveOn member,

I wanted to write and thank you for your generous contribution yesterday. The response we're seeing is heartening. Below is an email we sent to the rest of the MoveOn membership describing the thousands of moving emails and avalanche of donations we received over the last 24 hours—many from veterans and military families.

We wanted to make sure you saw the notes and had a chance to read this email.

Thanks again for your contribution and for all you do.

–Eli Pariser, Executive Director
MoveOn.org Political Action
Friday, September 21st, 2007

----------------

from the message attachedto above:

I'm currently in Iraq. I do not agree with this war, and if I did support this war, it would not matter. You have the RIGHT to speak the truth. We KNOW that you support us. Thank you for speaking out for being our voice. We do not have a voice. We are overshooted by those who say that we soldiers do not support organizations like MoveOn. WE DO.

YOU ARE OUR voice.

---------------
I have given a son to this country. My brother, my father, my uncle have all served honorably and bravely. I am a loyal American. I am outraged and sick to death of the tactics this administration uses to try to silence dissent to a war that is unjust, built and maintained on lies, political power, and greed. I was content to let others fight more loudly, but no more.
–Sharyn W., NC

I am a prior soldier who served in Iraq for 13 months, and am now an expecting mom with a husband who is deployed in Baghdad. I don't think I can ever forgive the Bush administration for the lies that tricked America into this war and hurt my family so badly. I am ashamed of those American politicians who would condemn an organization for practicing the Freedom of Speech that so many soldiers have died for.
–Danielle B., OH

[easyrider1969]

On Friday, Rudy twice said MoveON.org was spending "Hundreds of millions of dollars to"...destroy America. That was just before he pulled his third wife calling him stunt before the NRA.

[leftyandproudofit]

From CNN today:

"The Senate last week approved a resolution condemning the MoveOn ad, 72-25. Republicans filibustered a Democratic proposal that also condemned GOP attacks on former Sen. Max Cleland of Georgia and Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts during his 2004 presidential campaign."

So goes the never-ending hypocrisy of the Republican party.

[Graywolf48]

And the treason and cowardice of the Democratic party. Note those 22 Democrats, the vast majority are really DINOs. And as for Leahy, what about those subpoenas Pat? Any indictments forthcoming? Are you really accomplishing anything other than more BS and enabling of this criminal President? The Democrats are just giving us the routine dog and pony show they seem to be so good at lately. No balls, no spines, no reason to be reelected.

[leftyandproudofit]

Perhaps, but the quoted statement above says much more about how foul the GOP is more than it states anything else.

[booker52]

It just begs the question, who let the cat out of the bag about how much Moveon.org paid for the ad??? As for the ad, I say when the General allowed himself to be used as a mouthpiece for the WH, then he opened up himself for this kind of stuff. Hello??? How many Generals did not agree with Bush and are now gone?? Look who agrees with him and got a 4th star.

[bikerdude]

Hey, lets take a poll of generals and admirals and see how many of them think the war is going well and that the civilian leaders are competent. Wasn't it Petraeus's boss who flamed him for being a chickenshit somethingorother?

[isis]

One thing I've noticed about this is the whole attitude that since the General is a soldier he can't possibly be subject to scrutiny. Is this a good direction?

[kingofscotts]

Many of you sure thought so when Kerry was running for POTUS!

[Faux]

Scrutiny and slander are not synonyms.